GunSerialsWinchester Model 1904 serial numbers — why most have none
The Winchester Model 1904 is a single-shot, bolt-action .22 rimfire rifle produced from 1904 to 1931, intended as an affordable adult-sized rifle.
- Produced:
- 1904–1931
- Action:
- bolt-action
New to gun terms? Start here
- Model:
- The name of the gun design, such as Model 94. A model name that looks like a year does not tell you when your gun was made.
- Serial number:
- The number stamped on an individual gun. Include letters that are part of the number. A separate letter stamped above it, like the Model 97's C, D or E, is a different marking.
- Receiver:
- The main metal body just behind the barrel. The receiver ring is its front section, where the barrel joins it.
- Tang:
- A strip of metal extending from the receiver into the stock. The lower tang runs underneath, behind the trigger.
- Stock:
- The part you hold against your shoulder, usually made of wood on older Winchesters.
- Forearm or forend:
- The part under the barrel where your forward hand holds the gun.
- Action:
- The mechanism that loads and removes cartridges. Names such as lever action, pump action, and bolt action describe how it works.
- Caliber or gauge:
- The ammunition size or type a gun is designed to use. This marking is different from the model and serial number.
- Takedown:
- A version designed to separate into major sections for storage. A takedown joint is where those sections meet.
- Proof mark:
- A factory testing mark, such as Winchester's oval WP stamp. It is not a serial number or a date code.
- Peep or aperture sight:
- A rear sight with a small hole to look through. A hooded front sight has a cover around it.
Most Model 1904 guns have no serial number
Winchester never numbered the Model 1904.
These guns usually have model and ammunition markings on the barrel, and may also have patent dates. Those are different from a serial number. The model’s production ended before federal law required serial numbers on rifles and shotguns in 1968. A missing number is normal for this model; it does not by itself show whether the gun has been altered.
The references put the total at about 303,000 to 306,000.
The Model 1904 is the Model 1902 action on a 21-inch barrel with a larger stock, sold as an affordable adult-sized rifle. Like the 1902, the bolt is cocked by hand.
Without a factory serial number, a serial-number search cannot identify this individual gun. The feature clues below may help narrow its age.
If your Model 1904 has a number on it
A number may be an owner’s mark, a store’s inventory number, or an importer’s mark. Some factory stamps identify an inspector or a part. On certain models, a two-digit stamp under the barrel can indicate a year. Patent dates describe patents, not when this particular gun was made. We do not have serial lookup tables for these markings.
How to date a Model 1904 without a serial number
Winchester changed the Model 1904 over its run, and the published references date some of those changes. These clues can help narrow the possible years:
- A barrel marked for .22 Short and Long only predates 1914, when .22 Extra Long was added.
- The marking changed from “Model 1904” to “Model 04” in spring 1919. A “Model 1904” barrel means before that change, not necessarily before the calendar year 1919.
- The crescent steel buttplate was dropped in May 1925 for a hard-rubber one.
- Stainless-steel barrels, marked as such, were introduced in September 1926 and are rare.
- A November 1927 factory change replaced .22 Extra Long with .22 Long Rifle and renamed the rifle Model 04A. Rifles marked 04A date from late 1927 to 1931.
Features suggest a range of years. Winchester sometimes used older parts after a design changed, and parts may have been replaced later.
Winchester Model 1904 value: what it sells for at auction
We found 14 single-gun auction sales of the Winchester Model 1904 at Redding Auction Services and Amoskeag Auction Company between Sep 2023 and Sep 2026. They sold for $110 to $2,050.
That is too few sales for a typical price, so we list each one instead. A price table needs at least 40 sales. With only a few sales, one gun in unusual condition can set the high or the low.
We leave out listings described as deluxe, special-order, engraved, restored, or commemorative, and other exceptions in the value guide. Wear, repairs, original parts, and factory upgrades can make a particular gun worth more or less. These sales are a comparison, not an appraisal of your gun.
Every Model 1904 sale we counted
Newest first. Their features and condition may differ from your gun. A lot number identifies an item in an auction.
| Sold | Gun | Auction company | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | Model 1904 | Redding lot 373R | $725 |
| May 2026 | Model 1904 | Redding lot 647R | $150 |
| Apr 2026 | Model 1904 | Redding lot 64R | $2,050 |
| Mar 2026 | Model 1904A | Redding lot 471R | $270 |
| Aug 2025 | Model 1904 | Amoskeag lot 2536 | $133 |
| Aug 2025 | Model 1904 | Amoskeag lot 2218 | $242 |
| Mar 2025 | Model 1904 | Redding lot 165R | $470 |
| Mar 2025 | Model 1904 | Redding lot 126R | $320 |
| Jan 2025 | Model 1904 | Redding lot 322R | $210 |
| Jan 2025 | Model 1904 | Redding lot 545R | $110 |
| Jan 2025 | Model 1904 | Redding lot 407R | $120 |
| Aug 2024 | Model 1904 | Amoskeag lot 2293 | $254 |
| Jun 2024 | Model 1904 | Amoskeag lot 2441 | $254 |
| Nov 2023 | Model 1904 | Amoskeag lot 2226 | $514 |
Prices are in US dollars and include the buyer’s premium, the auction company’s fee added to the winning bid, where the house charges one; Redding charges none. They are not the amount the seller receives. A dealer’s offer or private sale price may differ. The full picture, model by model →